章節 21: Literary Olympiad

The leaves were already falling on the pavements when Ria Zhang came to terms that yes, she was already twenty years ahead of her time. She was currently sprawled in bed, the crumpled of papers were scattered on the floor. She was tapping lightly her pencil against her temple, lips were pursed slightly.

After the accidental meeting with Jacob Yun, Ria Zhang's life has been peaceful. Or so she thought. She has been staying indoors as her brother warned her of staying away from trouble. If trouble does not find her, then it's all good.

But if provocations came from her enemies, she will definitely strike. That's her attitude. In this life, that was Kara Lu and Marvin Kang. That was goal number two.

Ria Zhang wanted to visit her parents but stopped entertaining the idea. After all, she doesn't even know where the Co Family lives. She shook her head. Well, yeah. Since she was already occupying the body of Sierra Co, she already owned everything Sierra Co had and that included the Co Family.

A soft sigh escaped from Ria Zhang's lips as her eyes darted back to the notebook in front of her. Only a few words marred the white pages of the notebook.

She stood up from the bed and went to the bathroom. Since she cannot write productively, Ria Zhang might as well explore the Costa City and find ways to earn money. Although Stanley Co gave her an allowance, she wanted to make her own money.

Lulu widened her eyes as she saw Ria Zhang heading towards the door. "Young Miss, where are you going?" she asked, her footsteps were light.

"I'm going out. I want to explore the other side of the city," she said before pulling the door knob.

"But Young Master said—"

"I'm your master. Not my brother," Ria Zhang cut Lulu. Although her tone was soft, it left no space for argument. She glanced at the girl behind her. "Be obedient and wait for me here."

Lulu nodded reluctantly.

"I'll be back after two hours," she said as she closed the door behind her. For this trip, Ria Zhang wore a black hoodie and denim pants partnered with sneakers.

The other side of Costa City catered to a more relaxed neighborhood. To reach the place, Ria Zhang rode the train before alighting at the station located at the intersection of the city. As her eyes roamed the area, all she saw were people walking.

There were some who rode their bicycles. A smile hovered on her lips while walking towards the center of the neighborhood. She missed this kind of feeling. This is the true meaning of peace.

Ria Zhang's left hand touched the bag on her back, as if making sure that it was still there. Inside the bag were her notebook and pencil and some money. At the end of the street, there were a group of people huddling over. She raised an eyebrow as she got nearer.

"So, the Literary Olympiad will be held next month?" A woman wearing a green blouse asked no one in particular.

"It seems so. Actually, the preliminaries will be starting next Saturday," another woman chimed in.

Literary Olympiad? That was the first time Ria Zhang heard that. She has been surfing the internet but she didn't see any information online.

She pursed her lips as she pulled her hoodie lower before tapping the arm of the woman beside her. "Excuse me, miss. What is the Literary Olympiad?"

The woman turned towards her with brows twitching. "It was an annual competition sponsored by the Feng Family. You're not local?"

Anyone residing in Costa City knew the Literary Olympiad since it was the most prestigious literary competition in the country. Any person who can win the grand prize is considered to be a royalty. Also, the grand prize winner automatically becomes the disciple of Master Feng. But of course, Ria Zhang does not know about it.

She shook her head. "No. I just came from the countryside."

The woman nodded. "Well, you can try joining. There's no criteria as long as you know how to write poems." The woman then waved her hands in front of Ria Zhang's face. "However, the mortality rate is quite high."

Ria Zhang raised an eyebrow. "How high?"

"99 percent mortality rate," the woman said before sighing. "But there's no harm in trying. Maybe, you can be the grand prize winner, who knows?" The woman looked at her before leaving.

Ria Zhang remained silent. She tilted her head. This was the time to prove that she knew how to write. But she forgot to ask the woman of the prize. She pouted. Oh well, writing was just one of her hobbies. She can look for source of money later. But right now, her goal was to win that competition.